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BJP’s statewide protest against Amarinder government
Jalandhar, November 2
BJP workers today staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office to protest against the anti-people policies of the state government and the recent unearthing of several scams, including hawala charges, against the son of the Chief Minister and irregularities in the appointment of DSPs and auctions of liquor vends.

Lekhak Sabha flays Amarinder for not celebrating Punjab Day
Sangrur, November 2
Taking a serious note of non-celebration of the “New Punjab Day” on November 1 this year by the state government, the Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Sekhon) today said with this the “anti-Punjabi” face of the state Government had been exposed, completely.

Power tariff may go down by 5 p.c.
Chandigarh, November 2
Will the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission reduce the power tariff rates in the state? It seems to be so if one is to go by a discussion held by the commission in recent days after thoroughly examining the balance-sheets of the PSEB and its revenue requirement projections.

Drought, deluge loss: Punjab seeks Rs 5,100 cr relief
Chandigarh, November 2
Punjab has sought relief of Rs 5,100.31 crore from the Centre for losses suffered due to drought and deluge in 2004.

Nanakshahi calendar acceptance near total: Purewal
Jalandhar, November 2
The Nanakshahi calendar, which had caused a lot of controversy in the Sikh religious circles prior to its implementation by the SGPC last year, even though it was dubbed as futuristic, has been implemented by about 98 per cent of the gurdwaras and other Sikh organisations across the globe.

Pal Singh Purewal, author of the Nanakshahi calendar, speaks at a function at Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

Victimisation of ADGP continues
Chandigarh, November 2
Punjab Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP) Shashi Kant is apparently paying the price for issuing orders resulting in the removal of red blinkers from atop the vehicles used by over 150 top bureaucrats and police officers.

HC orders re-auction of liquor vends
Chandigarh, November 2
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered re-auction of liquor vends in three excise districts of Ludhiana by November 30.

Notice to CBI in Bibi Jagir Kaur case
Chandigarh, November 2
A Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court headed by Mr Justice Amar Dutt today issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a petition filed by Mr Kamaljit Singh, who claims to have married Harpreet Kaur, the deceased daughter of Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur.

CPI seeks Bill to ensure job for one member of a family
Bathinda, November 2
Mr A.B. Bardhan, National General Secretary, CPI, today demanded that the UPA Government led by Dr Manmohan Singh should take necessary and effective steps to implement its common minimum programme (CMP) to ensure guaranteed employment to at least one member of each family and to save the farmers from the vicious cycle of debt.

COMMUNITY

A dream came true for Major Sarfraz
Chandigarh, November 2
For Major Sarfraz Singh of 6 Para Regiment, scaling of 7140 metre-high Mount Nun in the Zanskar Range of Suru region (south of Kargil) as a deputy leader of a 50-member Army team last month, was a dream come true.

Shivrajini dazzles audience
Patiala, November 2
Local girl Shivrajni Narula today gave a spectacular kathak performance during the All-India Dance and Drama festival. It was organised by the local United Artists Patiala at the Central State Library here.

Shops coming up on plots meant for SCs’ houses
Pathankot, November 2
In a gross violation of rules, certain politicians are converting the land meant for houses of Schedule Castes into shops.

World Bank team visits kandi project
Hoshiarpur, November 2
A World Bank team consisting of Mr Daniel Sellen, task manager, Dr Draund, sociologist, Dr Kroop, veterinary expert, Dr Jain, economist, Dr Das, economic expert, and Mr Peter, forest and watershed expert visited the local unit of the Integrated Watershed Development Project Hills- II of Kandi area at Atwarapur village yesterday.

Agnivesh blames religious leaders for foeticide
Hoshiarpur, November 2
Swami Agnivesh, Chairperson of United Nations Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavna Award-2004, spoke on “Parents, have a heart for the daughter” organised by Savera, a social organisation, here yesterday.

650 examined at eye camp
Ferozepore, November 2
More than 650 patients were examined and provided free medicines in an eye camp organised by the Bharat Vikas Parishad today.

4 Army School students hurt
Pathankot, November 2
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently directed to ensure that vehicles carrying schoolchildren were safe. However, the apathy of the local administration regarding the directive led to an accident here on the Madhopur-Pathankot road in which four students of the Army School were injured seriously.

Regiment celebrates Raising Day
Pathankot, November 2
The 325th Light Air Defence Regiment celebrated its 22nd Raising Day here yesterday. The Commanding Officer of the unit, Col S.N. Dikshit, during his address to the soldiers and officers, said the unit was raised on November 1, 1983. It had taken part in many operations for internal and border security.

AGRICULTURE

Bumper paddy crop brings low profit
Moga, November 2
Though Malwa farmers have reaped a bumper paddy crop this year despite drought-like conditions prevailing in the region, their margin of profit has gone down owing to the rise in input costs.

BKU firm on ‘rail roko’ stir today
Bathinda, November 2
The situation in Bathinda and its surrounding districts of Muktsar, Ferozepore and Mansa is becoming tense as the activists of BKU (Ekta), Ugrahhan group, are determined to organise a rail roko agitation tomorrow.

Frontline farmer leaders go underground
Chandigarh, November 2
As the Punjab Police continues to arrest farmers in connection with their proposed “rail roko” agitation tomorrow, a large number of farmer leaders have gone underground in the state.

BKU activists seek payment of dues
Faridkot, November 2
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) activists today staged a protest outside the Faridkot Cooperative Sugar Mill demanding immediate payment of the cane farmers’ dues.

ADMINISTRATION

Drive against illegal colonies from today
Patiala, November 2
The municipal corporation will launch a three-day drive against illegal colonies from tomorrow.

Inside Babudom
SP still holds charge despite CM's orders
Chandigarh, November 2
Ferozepur's Superintendent of Police (Vigilance Bureau) Inderjit Singh Randhawa has still not relinquished the charge even though his transfer orders were issued on October 25.

CRIME

4.9 quintals of poppy husk seized
Pathankot, November 2
The police here has arrested three persons and seized 4.9 quintals of poppy husk from their possession.

Varsity employee held for cheating
Patiala, November 2
The police here today arrested a Punjabi University employee for duping a local resident of Rs 3 lakh by promising admission of his daughter to a medical college in the state.

Farmer found murdered in fields
Kapurthala, November 2
A 50-year-old farmer was found murdered in his fields in Bhandal Bet early this morning. The body of the victim, Shingara Singh, bore scores of deep stab wounds on his face as he seemed to be hit with sharpedged weapons.

Nabbed for fraud and forgery
Phagwara, November 2
The police has arrested Gurmej Ram of Chachoki village on charges of fraud, forgery and faking revenue documents. a press note issued by the Kapurthala SSP, Mr S.K. Asthana, said today that the arrest was made under Sections 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120-B, IPC.

Woman, paramour commit suicide
Moga, November 2
A woman and her paramour hanged themselves from a ceiling fan in a suicide pact at Thathibhai village, near here, yesterday.

Five proclaimed offenders arrested
Moga, November 2
The CIA staff has arrested five proclaimed offenders who had been absconding in separate cases that included smuggling of opium and illicit liquor.

EDUCATION

Rajindra College wins giddha title at youth fest
Bathinda, November 2
The team of the local Government Rajindra College today won the title in Giddha event organised during the three-day zonal youth festival of Punjabi University, Patiala, which started yesterday afternoon. The girls of Government Nehru Memorial College, Mansa, got the second prize.

Dances, skits mark school function
Kharar, November 2
At the first annual day function of Sacred Soul’s School students presented a colourful cultural programme on the occasion here today. Programme began with a welcome song and followed by dances, songs and skits. Students performed Bengali and Arabian dances with ease, swaying to tunes in brightly-coloured clothes.

Students of Sacred Soul’s School perform at the annual function of the school in Kharar on Tuesday.

Patel Memorial College wins 7 positions
Rajpura, November 2
Patel Memorial National here won seven first and five second positions in the Punjabi University zonal youth festival held at Ropar.